India: The Taj Mahal & Ranthambore

Starting at $7,499 USD per guest

6 days, 5 nights

Day 1: Welcome to Delhi! Upon arrival at the airport, transfer to your elegant, centrally located hotel and check in; the rest of the day is yours to enjoy at leisure. Consider visiting Humayun’s Tomb, inspiration for the Taj Mahal and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Hotel: The Oberoi New Delhi or similar. 

Day 2: Sit back and relax on the morning drive to Agra, which takes around three and a half hours. Your first destination is the UNESCO World Heritage-designated Red Fort of Agra. This magnificent 16th-century fortress, constructed of red sandstone, encompasses the imperial city of the Mughal rulers. Step inside its massive walls — which stretch for more than a mile and a half — to discover a fairytale world of royal palaces, grand audience halls, and the marble Pearl Mosque.

Lunch at a local restaurant is filled with anticipation for your next stop: the Taj Mahal, named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and another UNESCO World Heritage site. Built in the 1650s by Emperor Shah Jahan as a testament of love for his late wife, the Taj is considered the most beautiful marble building in the world and the pinnacle of Indo-Islamic architecture. Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore described it as “a solitary tear suspended on the cheek of time,” and the mausoleum is revered for its stunning design balance. Admire its elegant domes, intricately carved screens, and some of the finest inlay work ever produced. After your tour, return to the hotel and enjoy dinner on site.

Hotel: The Oberoi Amarvilas or similar.

Day 3: Rise early to watch the sun rise over the Taj Mahal, its creamy-white marble aglow in dazzling orange and pink hues. Then head back to the hotel for breakfast before your six-hour drive to Ranthambore National Park and Tiger Reserve, located in the Sawai Madhopur district of the Rajasthan state in northern India. Check in and enjoy lunch at your luxury hotel, set just outside the park. This afternoon, consider visiting the nearby Dastkar Craft Centre, a non-profit NGO that supports traditional Indian craftspeople — many of whom are village women — by helping them create sustainable livelihoods. Return to your hotel and freshen up before dinner on site.

Hotel: The Oberoi Vanyavilas or similar. 

Day 4: Comprising more than 150 square miles of undulating hills, valleys and grasslands, Ranthambore was the exclusive hunting grounds of the Maharajas of Jaipur before becoming a game sanctuary in 1955. It was declared a Project Tiger reserve in 1973 and a national park in 1980. Ranthambore takes its name from the 10th-century fortress within its boundaries, one of a series of Rajasthan hill forts that have been granted UNESCO World Heritage status. The park’s tropical dry forest is considered one of the best places in the world to view Royal Bengal tigers in the wild; around 70 of these regal creatures find sanctuary here, and today you set off in search of them on exhilarating morning and afternoon game drives. Ranthambore hosts some 40 other mammal species — including large populations of leopards, sloth bears, striped hyenas, and wild boars — over 35 reptile species, and more than 320 bird species. Enjoy lunch and dinner back at your hotel.

Hotel: The Oberoi Vanyavilas or similar. 

Day 5: Head out on your final game drive in Ranthambore this morning, scouring mud tracks and watching the morning action at a wildlife-favorite watering hole. After an early lunch, sit back and relax on the four-hour drive to the Jaipur airport for your return flight to Delhi. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel and freshen up before dinner on site.

Hotel: The Oberoi New Delhi or similar. 

Day 6: Enjoy an early breakfast before transferring back to the airport for your flight to Dubai. Upon arrival, head to the pier and embark your Seabourn ship.

March 31, 2023 Pre-Cruise (April 5, 2023 Cruise Date)

Day 1: Disembark your Seabourn ship and transfer to the airport for your flight to Delhi. Upon arrival, head to your elegant, centrally located hotel and check in; the rest of the day is yours to enjoy at leisure.

Hotel: The Oberoi New Delhi or similar. 

Day 2: Sit back and relax on the morning drive to Agra, which takes around three and a half hours. Your first destination is the UNESCO World Heritage-designated Red Fort of Agra. This magnificent 16th-century fortress, constructed of red sandstone, encompasses the imperial city of the Mughal rulers. Step inside its massive walls — which stretch for more than a mile and a half — to discover a fairytale world of royal palaces, grand audience halls, and the marble Pearl Mosque.

Lunch at a local restaurant is filled with anticipation for your next stop: the Taj Mahal, named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and another UNESCO World Heritage site. Built in the 1650s by Emperor Shah Jahan as a testament of love for his late wife, the Taj is considered the most beautiful marble building in the world and the pinnacle of Indo-Islamic architecture. Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore described it as “a solitary tear suspended on the cheek of time,” and the mausoleum is revered for its stunning design balance. Admire its elegant domes, intricately carved screens, and some of the finest inlay work ever produced. After your tour, return to the hotel and enjoy dinner on site.

Hotel: The Oberoi Amarvilas or similar. 

Day 3: Rise early to watch the sun rise over the Taj Mahal, its creamy-white marble aglow in dazzling orange and pink hues. Then head back to the hotel for breakfast before your six-hour drive to Ranthambore National Park and Tiger Reserve, located in the Sawai Madhopur district of the Rajasthan state in northern India. Check in and enjoy lunch at your luxury hotel, set just outside the park. This afternoon, consider visiting the nearby Dastkar Craft Centre, a non-profit NGO that supports traditional Indian craftspeople — many of whom are village women — by helping them create sustainable livelihoods. Return to your hotel and freshen up before dinner on site.

Hotel: The Oberoi Vanyavilas or similar. 

Day 4: Comprising more than 150 square miles of undulating hills, valleys and grasslands, Ranthambore was the exclusive hunting grounds of the Maharajas of Jaipur before becoming a game sanctuary in 1955. It was declared a Project Tiger reserve in 1973 and a national park in 1980. Ranthambore takes its name from the 10th-century fortress within its boundaries, one of a series of Rajasthan hill forts that have been granted UNESCO World Heritage status. The park’s tropical dry forest is considered one of the best places in the world to view Royal Bengal tigers in the wild; around 70 of these regal creatures find sanctuary here, and today you set off in search of them on exhilarating early morning and afternoon game drives. Ranthambore hosts some 40 other mammal species — including large populations of leopards, sloth bears, striped hyenas, and wild boars — over 35 reptile species, and more than 320 bird species. Enjoy lunch and dinner back at your hotel.

Hotel: The Oberoi Vanyavilas or similar. 

Day 5: Head out on your final game drive in Ranthambore this morning, scouring mud tracks and watching the morning action at a wildlife-favorite watering hole. After an early lunch, sit back and relax on the four-hour drive to the Jaipur airport for your return flight to Delhi. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel and freshen up before dinner on site.

Hotel: The Oberoi New Delhi or similar. 

Day 6: Embark on a morning sightseeing tour through “Lutyens’ Delhi,” an upscale neighborhood in New Delhi named for British architect Edwin Lutyens. Pass by the India Gate — a war memorial arch dedicated to Indian soldiers lost during World War 1 — on your way to the UNESCO World Heritage-designated Humayun’s Tomb, a magnificent monument built of red sandstone that served as inspiration for the Taj Mahal. Proceed to one of Delhi’s gurudwaras or Sikh temples, which provide vegetarian meals for the city’s indigent. Visit its community kitchen to see how the food is prepared for thousands of visitors each day; if you like, you can help arrange supplies as a contribution. Return to the hotel for lunch; at the appropriate time, transfer to the airport for your homebound flight.

April 5, 2023 Post-Cruise (March 19, 2023 Cruise Date)